Basketball Recap: Riverside Picks Up Sixth Consecutive Victory

Riverside entered their tilt with Las Cruces on Thursday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They took down the Las Cruces Bulldawgs 50-36. The win was all the more spectacular given the Rangers' disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 360th in Texas, while the Bulldawgs are ranked 15th in New Mexico).

Riverside's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jocelyn Castro, who went 9 for 19 on her way to 19 points. The contest was Castro's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Yazmin Rios, who posted seven points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals.

Riverside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.

Las Cruces' loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaysha Hawkins, who put up eight points along with five rebounds and three steals. Hawkins is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Sofia Herrera, who had nine points and six boards.

Riverside has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.4 points per game. As for Las Cruces, with the defeat, they broke their four-game winning streak and moved their record to 6-4.

Riverside won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Farmington at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Las Cruces, they will also get right back to it: they'll take on El Dorado at 8:00 a.m. on Friday. El Dorado is coming into the game with four straight losses on the road, meaning Las Cruces will have to defend against a team hungry for a victory.